Disney Cruise Adventures: Fantasy on the Fantasy
by Yoshi's Best Pal
Summary: A short story inspired by the events of my first Disney cruise, also drawing from the works of Crazy Cat Lady. Includes slight ArielXOC and some BelleXOC, but the finale hints at AriBelle.
1. Prologue

**Infinity Entertainment Presents**

An Insanity Works Production

_A Luke Lynch Story_

**_Disney Cruise Adventures: Fantasy on the Fantasy_**

Prologue

NOTE: The following story is a work of fiction based on true events. I did sail on the Disney Fantasy recently, and I won the hearts of quite a few entertainers, Ariel and Belle foremost among those that could speak, as those of you who looked at my photo album from the trip will know. That said, the sequence of events of which you are soon to read is entirely fictional; ripped from my sick mind over the course of three nights. I was never in danger of any kind, although I did get worried during a storm on Pirate Wednesday night.[/NOTE]

A week of wonder, magic, and the kind of happenings that one simply never forgets. Disaster giving way to triumph, catastrophe metamorphosing into the stuff of fantasy-Oh, and getting to kiss a pair of princesses. That's very important.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning.

My name is Luke Lynch, and I am a 10-year-old boy trapped in a 23-year-old body. I am a total geek-some would even say dork-but I have a good heart, or so many of my friends say. I'm about 5'11" and have dark hair, a pudgy build, brown eyes that some say are akin to root beer, and a very boyish face. Mom says that when I shave, I still look like a preteen. (She's not entirely wrong, either.)

I haven't exactly taken the best care of my body throughout my life, but I'm still alive and with all my teeth, so I must be doing something right. I can be very impulsive at times, and common sense is a foreign concept to me. I wish that were not the case, but not much I can do about it.

On the 9th of November 2013, I departed with my family from Boston for Port Canaveral, Florida, where the _Disney Fantasy_ was docked. Think of it as a Disney-fied Titanic. We boarded the ship with no troubles and before we knew it, off we were sailing deep into the Caribbean. The first three days were spent meeting characters galore and partaking of some of the most wonderful food I have ever experienced. In between all this, we managed to visit the tourist-y parts of two islands: Grand Cayman and Costa Maya.

On Wednesday-Pirate Wednesday-we made port at the island of Cozumel. About all that happened there is I went to a Hooters for the first time. Food was good and the waitresses were definitely in the eye-candy category. Didn't eat much-just a quesadilla-but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

That night, after a pirate-themed celebration on Deck 11 which included fireworks, I went down to Deck 4 for my nightly karaoke stand. It was after that that my troubles began.


	2. Chapter 1: Man Overboard!

**Chapter 1: Man Overboard!**

It all started on my way back to my room, when I decided to take a stroll along the outside deck on Level 4. A storm was picking up, and we were encountering very choppy waters. I don't remember how choppy, but I do remember that I was standing on the port side of the deck, talking with Princess Ariel, when it happened.

(For the record, everyone else on the trip refers to me by my birth name, which is Casey. A fine name, but...well...you know.)

We were chatting about her daughter, Melody, when the seas began to pick up slightly. Not enough to endanger the ship, but enough for one without their sea legs to lose their footing quite easily. I staggered into Ariel-unintentionally, I swear it-and we toppled. She landed on top of me-thank God it wasn't the other way around, or else I'd have crushed her-and it looked almost like we were in the throes of passion. I could swear our lips were a millimeter apart, our faces ended up so close. I was staring into those vivid, deep blue eyes and almost getting lost in them when I finally said the only thing that would come to my mind:

"Compromising landing position for the win."

Ariel laughed and stood up, thereby allowing me to do the same. I gripped the railing to steady myself until I finally had my feet back under me. I thanked her for her time-I had just happened to run into her outside and was grateful for her company-and was about to start heading back inside-literally, I had turned back towards the door leading inside and was beginning to walk towards it-when the ship rocked towards me. My balance was ripped from me, and I stumbled backwards, pivoting over the railing in a perfect backflip. I heard Ariel scream, "Oh, my goodness! Hang on, Casey!" Then she said something I couldn't hear to someone else. I found out soon enough what she had done, but right then and there, all I could think to do was yell two words:

"Man overbooaarr-!"

I was cut off by the impact with the ocean. The salt water rushed in through my nostrils and my open mouth; a taste and sensation that are unforgettable once experienced. The cold was stabbing, almost like knives all over my body-the water had to be about 34 degrees, max. I knew from the pain that I hit the water hard, but judging by the fact that I could still move my limbs, nothing was broken. A few bruised, maybe cracked, ribs, but nothing serious. I immediately made my way to the surface and started swimming as fast as I could to what I thought was a safe distance away from the ship, so as not to get hurt by whatever it was that was propelling the ship forward. Once I had made it, I turned to regard the ship-it had stopped, confirming a suspicion that I'd had since Monday: on a Disney cruise ship, word gets around very quickly.

I started to doggy-paddle towards the ship, yelling as loud as I could the whole way: "Help! Man overboard!" It didn't take me long to hear another, eerily familiar voice:

"It's going to be all right! I'm coming for you!"

I knew that voice: Ariel. But why? Why risk her own life and potentially give up the chance to touch millions of others' lives just to save one-mine? I already knew I was the unofficial celebrity of the week due to my antics with the entertainers and staff coupled with my karaoke nights, but still, the harsh reality was that without all of that, I was just another passenger.

So why would a Disney Princess risk her life for, more or less, a stranger, even if it was in her nature to do so?

Well, at that point, I wasn't exactly questioning my good fortune due to looking at the big picture: Help was coming. Granted, not the help I would have expected, but help nonetheless. So I swam towards her, and as I drew close, I saw she had a safety ring in hand.

"Not that I don't appreciate it," I said gratefully when we converged, "but why did you jump?"

"I was the only other one nearby who could swim," Ariel answered, "and the nearest qualified help was a fair distance away. So I sent someone to go get help, grabbed a safety ring, and here I am."

"And still in full regalia, too," I noted. "But why me? I mean, when you take away the karaoke and the fact that I entertain the entertainers, I'm just another passenger."

"I know," answered Ariel as we began swimming back towards the ship. "The answer is fourfold: A) It's who I am; B) your family would never forgive me if I didn't do everything in my power to save you...and quite frankly, neither would I; C) you're the life of the ship on this particular cruise, and D) even if you weren't, I must confess...I really like you."

All I could do at that revelation was stammer as we reached the side of the ship. No rope was being lowered yet, and I pointed this out to Ariel.

"Like I said, the nearest help was quite a distance away," she quipped. "They should be on their way now."

It was at that point that I also noticed that we were pretty much right up against the side of the ship, in shadow.

"Uh...Ariel?" I began.

"Yes?" she replied softly.

"Shouldn't we be where they can see us?"

"Oh, right," giggled Ariel, blushing-or so it appeared in the darkness. With that, we made our way into the light. It was about now that the storm began to calm down-the waves were getting less intense. About that time, I heard someone-a man-call my name:

"Casey Gallagher! Are you out there?!"

"I'm right here!" I called back, waving one arm as best I could while treading water. "I'm OK!"

"I see you! Stay right there!" the man yelled. "We'll get you out of there!"

"Where are you?" I called to him, wherever on the ship he was.

"Deck 4!" he cried out. "I'm gonna throw a line to you! There's a winch nearby that we'll use to pull you up!"

I looked up towards where the voice was coming from, and only when I saw his face did I recognize his voice: Robin, one of the entertainers/activity leaders on the ship.

"Oh, hey, Robin!" I greeted in recognition. "Just make sure you don't hit me with the line! The last thing I need is to turn into an unconscious fish on a ho-oh, sorry, Ariel," I apologized sheepishly, realizing what I had just said. Then I dared to look at her. She looked very cross-but she couldn't hold it, and busted out laughing.

"Hey, Casey!" called Robin. "Who's that with you?"

"Should I tell him?" I asked Ariel.

"He's gonna find out sooner or later anyways," she admitted. I nodded and turned my attention back to Robin.

"Would you believe, Ariel?" I shouted to him.

"WHAT?!" he screamed.

"It's true!" she cried out, waving. "There wasn't time to wait! Besides, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't take action!"

"Fair enough," conceded Robin, seemingly accepting that he couldn't have stopped her even if he had been there to try. "Here comes the line!" And sure enough, there was a line flying down towards the water. It landed with a surprisingly loud splash between myself and Ariel, and we both grabbed on. As Robin went to attach the line to the winch, I heard Ariel speak my name very softly.

"Yes, Ariel?"

"I know this sounds ridiculous," she began, "but could you close your eyes and keep them closed?"

Not being one to turn down royalty of any kind, let alone a Disney Princess, I graciously obliged her.

"What have you got in mind?" I asked her.

"Just something I've actually wanted to do for a few hours now," she whispered. At that point, I felt her hands cup my cheeks, almost like velvet on my face. I wanted desperately to pull away, thinking, _What would the staff say if they found out about this? I don't know if I'd ever be allowed on a Disney cruise again! Or worse, Ariel might end up in trouble!_ But the shock of realizing what was happening overrode my rational thinking, and it was all my legs could do to keep bicycling and, thus, keep me afloat. Then, the next thing I knew, she had pressed her lips to mine...and my torso just froze. My head and legs still worked, even though I was left unable to react. When she pulled away, I heard her giggle and say,

"You know, don't be afraid to kiss me back...if you want to."

And all I could think to do at that point...was exactly that: kiss her right back. So that's what I did, and as soon as our lips met for the second time, I was instantly transported to the "Kiss The Girl" scene from Ariel's movie...or at least, in my mind's eye. Everyone from the scene was there: Sebastian, the musical animals, even Scuttle. The only two that didn't appear were Flotsam and Jetsam, thank God. Only two other major differences existed: A) Ariel could speak, and B) I had no need for guessing games. I heard the music-and Sebastian's lovely reggae voice-more clearly than I ever had before. The song went through just as it had in the movie, a perfect recreation down to every last detail. Only differences were that the kiss actually happened, complete with applause from all creatures bearing witness...and that Flotsam and Jetsam weren't what interrupted said kiss. It was the feeling of the rope beginning to pull us along through the water.

At that point, I came back to myself. I was still entwined with Ariel in a tender kiss that might have lasted for several more minutes, had it not been for the rope beginning to pull us up the side of the ship. I gently broke the kiss about halfway up and we smiled at each other.

"I have got to remember," I reminded myself out loud, "a true gentleman never kisses and tells." Ariel laughed at this.

"You do realize that all that means is that you don't tell the whole world about it?" she asked.

"So no Facebook or Twitter updates telling of this?"

"Not even a YouTube video," Ariel warned. "But word-of-mouth to only those you trust is perfectly fine."

"Good," I breathed, "because this'll be one to tell the kids." Ariel looked at me quizzically.

"Uh," I stuttered, "that is to say, any kids I might end up having."

"Oh," chuckled Ariel, "I was about to say, you look a bit young to have children." At that point, we cleared the Deck 4 railing and were pulled back onto the ship, giggling like fools.

"Are you two all right?" asked Robin as he ran over to us.

"I'm fine," answered Ariel with a smile. "Not sure how Casey's doing, though."

"How are you doing?" Robin asked me.

"Better than I probably have a right to be," I answered, wincing as I clutched my chest. "Couple of ribs injured, cracked at the worst, but more than likely just bruised. It's gonna hurt to breathe for a while, though. Does my family know what happened?"

"They know," answered Robin. "I personally made sure of that. Strange, they didn't seem too concerned."

"They wouldn't be," I answered. "They all know, A) I can swim, and B) I have Swimming and Lifesaving merit badges from my time in the Boy Scouts. For the most part, I can handle myself in the water."

"But you fell about 45 feet," reminded Ariel. "Impact with water is more forceful than they probably understand."

"Yeah; I'll talk with them about that later," I told Ariel. "For now, I need to sleep." With that, I attempted to stand up. Thanks to my injured ribs, my chest was on fire and my breathing was ragged, but I finally got my feet under me.

"Although, knowing first aid protocol, any sleeping I'm likely to do will probably be in the infirmary. Am I right?" I asked in a pained voice.

"You don't miss a trick, do you, Casey?" queried Ariel with a smile.

"No, indeed," confirmed Robin. "Can you walk?"

"Not very fast as of right now," I answered, "but yes."

"OK," commanded Robin, "then follow me, both of you." And he led us-well, more me, really-to the shipboard hospital. It looked kinda like the back of an ambulance, but larger and fully stocked.

"Doc?" called Robin. "We got a few injured ribs here. Any way you can keep this young man overnight for observation?"

Out walked the doctor, whose face and build all but screamed, _I am from the Caribbean._ But when he spoke, he almost sounded British, his diction was so exacting. Listening closely, I was barely able to detect a trace of the home accent in his voice.

"Ah, is this Casey the karaoke sensation?" he asked, smiling gently at me.

"I don't know so much about a sensation," I chuckled, which quickly gave way to a groan and a grimace as a fresh wave of pain overtook me, "but that's me."

"Can you take it from here, Doc?" asked Robin. "I have to get Ariel back to her home. Also, Belle's going to want to hear about this whole ordeal." I didn't immediately catch that last part.

"Of course," answered Doc.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," Ariel said to me.

"Only until our next meeting," I reminded her. "Remember, we still have two days left."

"True," grinned Ariel, and kissed the top of my hand, a gesture which I returned.

"Get well soon," we said to each other, and with a three-way exchange of smiles, Robin led Ariel from the room.

"So good to meet you," Doc said in a friendly tone, offering his hand, which I took and gave a firm shake. "Just call me Doc. My actual name is a little, ah...complicated."

I looked at Doc's name tag and, boy, was he right.

"So, at the risk of causing a bit of a stir..." I tried, and failed miserably, to stop myself. "...What's up, Doc?"

"Until you walked in, I was actually feeling a bit bored," he replied. "A bit..._over-bored_, if you will?" I gave a groan and tried to make it sound more like a laugh.

"OK, I deserve that bad pun," I admitted, and Doc laughed. "So you're already familiar with what happened, I take it?"

"I am," answered Doc. "But what's this I hear about you being joined in the water by Ariel?"

"Well," I began, "it's kind of a funny story..."

* * *

"And then Robin pulled us up, gave us a once-over and then brought me here," I finished.

"I see," mused Doc thoughtfully. "Well, that about finishes up the talking portion of what will happen tonight. Lie down and feel free to fall asleep; I'll do the rest."

I did as I was told, and when I finally hit the lying-down-on-my-back position, it hit me full force exactly how tired I was. Not only did I fall asleep immediately, I passed the hell out.


	3. Chapter 2: A Princess's Love

**Chapter 2: A Princess' Love**

When I woke up, it looked like not a lot had changed-I was still in the infirmary and still in my (though now dry) clothes from last night, which told me that fixing me up may have been simpler than I had originally thought. I went to sit up, but found it hard for two reasons: A) My chest felt stiff, which was explained by feeling down near the injured area and coming across a wrap made of ACE bandages, and B) there was someone draped across my core. I quickly lay down and closed my eyes again for fear that I might wake them up, whoever they were, but too late: I felt them beginning to stir. Still I kept my eyes shut, as though I was still sleeping. Then I felt a gloved hand-not latex, but so soft and gentle, all it could be was velvet-cup my chin with its thumb and forefinger. Next came a voice-familiar, though not one I had heard throughout my whole ordeal, and it did not belong to either of the family members that were with me on the cruise. It-she, for it was definitely a woman-was saying:

"Good morning, sleepyhead. I know you're conscious, and I'm so happy you made it through last night OK. Ariel told me what happened, and I came in here as soon as I woke up and got dressed. I've been with you ever since Doc put the finishing touches on you earlier, and now that he's gone, there's something I want to do."

Those words triggered a memory of what had happened between Ariel and myself the previous night, and I could not stop myself from opening my eyes. Sitting in a chair next to my bed, leaning over me like an overprotective mother, was another Disney Princess, as I immediately recognized. But, as had already been made clear, this was not Ariel. Where Ariel's hair was long, fiery red, and flowing, this princess' hair was a soft brown, parted in the front and flowing down into curls on either side, while the back was pulled up into a bun.

Also, whilst Ariel had blue eyes and pale skin, these eyes were brown, like mine, and her skin was nowhere near as pale as Ariel's. This princess had already asked after me once when she had missed me, back on Monday. It was also this princess in whom I had confided my idea to surprise my mother with a breakfast in bed after the cruise was over-an idea which I recently tried, but failed to execute properly-Mom woke up well before the meal was completed.

Finally, whereas Ariel chose a very pale turquoise dress (almost a sea green) as her usual attire, the princess I was looking at was dressed in a slightly less pale yellow ball gown.

"I know your face..." I said softly, in a voice that was barely more than a whisper. "Belle..."

"Yes, it's me," she whispered happily. And with that, she closed the distance between us, capturing me in a kiss to rival, if not exceed, what Ariel had given to me the previous night, and it was filled with care, excitement, and above all, _love_. Love had been present in Ariel's kiss as well, but not as strongly-maybe it was acceptance that I had Belle's heart and not hers; ergo, I could not give her what she sought.

But I could give that to Belle, if only for a day or two more. So I craned my neck ever so slightly to the left, aiming to deepen the kiss. Belle did likewise, and we stayed like this for at least three minutes before we parted.

"Not to bring down the mood," I said, breathing heavily, "but you do realize this will only last until Saturday morning?"

"I know," said Belle, looking very sad.

"Oh," I said comfortingly, "don't sound so down. I'll come back, hopefully sooner rather than later, and maybe even as an employee."

"Ooh," gushed Belle, "I'd love that so much."

"As would I," I admitted. Then, I burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" she asked, perplexed.

"It just hit me," I gasped, "I never thought I'd owe my life to even _one_ Disney Princess, let alone _two_!"

"To quote you," quipped Belle, "that'll be one to tell the kids." That stopped me. There was only one way Belle could know I had said that.

"Did Ariel tell you?" I asked, hesitant, and dreading the reaction.

"Yes," answered Belle, "she told me everything. Including why she did what she did."

"What did she say?"

"She said it was just something she had wanted to do for a short while, and that now that she had, she wouldn't stop me if I decided to...well, you know."

"How did she know about how you felt? _I_ didn't even know how you felt until just now."

"You think hobbies are the only things we princesses discuss during our down time?"

"I honestly didn't even know you had enough down time to discuss _anything_ amongst yourselves."

"OK," ordered Belle with all seriousness, "stop talking in italics. It's getting kind of weird." I had to laugh at that.

"Would you prefer I spoke **boldly**, perhaps?"

This was too much for both of us, and once we started giggling, we simply could not stop, nor did we particularly want to. The only thing that stopped us was the fact that Robin walked in and said,

"Belle, it's almost time for the Princess Gathering."

"I know," she answered, "I'll be out in a minute."

"OK," said Robin. Then he turned his attention to me. "How you feeling, big man?"

"Like a million bucks," I replied. "Is there any way I could head back to my room and change for the Gathering?"

"Well, Doc has cleared you to go whenever you feel ready," informed Robin.

"Are you ready, my love?" asked Belle.

"About as ready as I'll ever be," I said honestly. "I just need a change of clothes, and I know where I can get those."

"Good," responded Robin with a smile. "Then I'll see you down in the Atrium. And hey-be careful about public displays of affection. We do have rules, after all."

"Wait," I stammered, "how did you-oh, right. Disney Cruise Lines."

"Yeah," smirked Robin. "Word travels fast. Don't worry, as long as you keep it behind closed doors, we're good."

"OK, then," I agreed with a thumbs-up. He returned the gesture and left the room.

"I have to get going, too," added Belle, "but I'll see you down there."

"That you will," I replied to Belle, stealing a quick kiss. "And hey-don't be scared for me. I'll be all right. Hey, suggestion: While I'm gone, maybe you should get to know Ariel a little better. Who knows what might spark?"

"You do realize you're going on a track that is looked on by so many people as totally wrong," reminded Belle, "right?"

"Those people are little more than close-minded simpletons," I dismissed with a wave of my hand. "It doesn't matter whether it's between people of the same or opposite gender. We're talking about true love. What's so wrong about that?"

"Oh, how I love you," laughed Belle. "Wise beyond your years, and good-looking, too." She snatched a quick kiss from me before she left the room with a "See you real soon."

"It's nothing, Belle," I said to myself, touching my lips. "I just know the value-and the power-of true, raw, unadulterated, pure love."

With that, I left the infirmary for my stateroom.


	4. Bonus Scene: Truly Madly Deeply

**Bonus Scene: Truly Madly Deeply**

The Princess Gathering was over, and I was waiting to see Belle off. As she walked around the pillar, she took notice of me and the biggest grin crossed her face.

"Oh, you came to see me off again," she said happily. "I feel so special. Will you walk with me?"

"Of course, milady," I answered without hesitation. She hooked her arm through my elbow, and I immediately fell into step. Almost literally, because her dress was so wide, I was almost tripping over it. Thank God I didn't.

"Hey, an idea just hit me," said Belle as we passed White Caps, the jewelry/general needs store on Deck 3. "These walks are nice, but I could go for a bit longer of a private session with you. Meet me outside the D Lounge after tonight's last karaoke session?"

"You're on," I agreed. "Would you prefer me to dress up?"

"You can if you want," replied Belle, "but it's not necessary."

"OK," I said, "then I will. What have you in mind?"

"You'll see when I get there," promised Belle. By this point, we had reached the entry to the Walt Disney Theatre, where we needed to separate for the time being.

"So I'll see you tonight?" she asked.

"It's a date," I responded. "And one that I wouldn't miss for the world."

So when I left for karaoke that night, I was dressed to impress-a light blue blazer with matching pinstripes on the shirt and a royal blue clip-on tie, complete with black dress slacks, black men's pantyhose (just my name for the type of socks I was wearing), and classy black loafers. I also had my shipboard phone and iPod with my portable speaker on my person, and a celebratory pin attached to each lapel. (Hey, when I clean up, I clean up good.) I reached the D Lounge on Deck 4 with no problems and brought down the house with a rendition of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love", after which I left the lounge and sat outside. Meghan, the announcer for this particular session, came out to check on me.

"You OK, Casey?" she asked kindly.

"Yeah," I said, "I'm just killing some time. I have a date in this area tonight."

"Ooh," she gushed, "how romantic! Who's the lucky lady?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said slyly, raising an eyebrow. Meghan did likewise-I got the feeling she already knew exactly who it was and what was going on.

"You dog," she laughed. "I bet you got girls all over the country, huh?"

"Not as many as you might think," I chuckled. "I try to stay loyal to my woman."

"Oh," sighed Meghan, "that's a relief. Well, you enjoy yourself and tell your date I said hi."

"I surely will," I promised as Meghan walked off. Right about that time, karaoke ended and people began to file out of the D Lounge. Some of them wished me a pleasant evening as they walked past me sitting in my porthole.

It was about five minutes after the last person walked out of sight that Belle finally came into sight, turning left out of the hallway that led into the Vista Gallery. She smiled when she saw me and waved hello. I did the same as I started walking towards her.

"You came," she cooed as she pulled me into a hug. "Oh, I'm so happy you made it." She stole a kiss on my cheek before she looked into my eyes.

"I told you I wouldn't miss it for the world," I reassured her. "One does not even turn down a Disney Princess, let alone stand her up." And I shivered at the thought of Belle standing there, sad and alone, because I had completely forgotten about our date. It was a vision I hoped-and still hope-never to see again.

"A man with standards," noted Belle. "I like that. Anyways, before we get into it, there's a question I have to ask, even though I know it's selfish: If I were to give you my heart, what would you do for me?"

I raised an eyebrow, stunned that she would even think of asking this question. But, as it turned out, it worked out perfectly. As I explained to Belle, I had a song on my iPod that would tell through its lyrics what I would do for her. It was put on with a little difficulty (my wire was giving me trouble), but I finally got it working.

"You don't mind if I sing along, do you?" I asked her. "Mainly because I can't really dance. The best I can do is turn on the spot."

"Which is fine for what we're doing right now," she replied, offering me her hand, which I took. Gently bringing her in close to me by the waist with my free hand, I slowly began to lead her around in a 360-degree circle-simple enough that I could focus on the song, but meaningful enough that it would blot out everything else, leaving only myself, Belle, and the music. She laid her head on my shoulder, facing my neck, as I began the song's lyrics:

_I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy_  
_I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need_  
_I love you more with every breath; truly, madly, deeply do_  
_I will be strong; I will be faithful 'cause I'm counting on a new beginning_  
_A reason for living_  
_A deeper meaning, yeah_

_Oh, I wanna stand with you on a mountain_  
_I wanna bathe with you in the sea_  
_I wanna lay like this forever_  
_Until the sky falls down on me_

_And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky_  
_I'll make a wish; send it to Heaven and make you want to cry_  
_The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty_  
_That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of the highest powers_  
_In lonely hours_  
_The tears devour you_

Belle surprised me at this point by singing the chorus with her head still on my shoulder. She was surprisingly skilled, even considering what little I remembered of her movie.

_I wonder how good she is with instruments_, I thought to myself. _Maybe she plays something._

As the song moved to the bridge, Belle picked her head up and looked very deep into my eyes. She squeezed my hand and I stopped moving.

_Ooh, can you see it, baby?  
You don't have to close your eyes, 'cause it's standing right before you  
All that you need will surely come..._

That was all I managed to get out before Belle was upon me again, kissing me in such a way that it reminded me of when I woke up to her that morning. Only difference is, this time, she went just the tiniest bit farther than she had that morning-very soon, her lips parted...and I felt something enter my mouth.

At that point, **everything** blotted out except for Belle. All that mattered was the kiss...and filling it with as much love and care as we possibly could. That was about as far as I was willing to go, though our lips remained locked for at least four minutes afterward, by which time the song had ended, and I was just beginning to come back to myself. Belle finally broke the kiss and I opened my eyes to see her own less than a foot away.

It was probably the most beautiful thing I've ever had the good fortune to witness, and definitely the most magical experience in which I've ever been given the grace to take part.

"I love you," I heard her whisper in my ear.

"And I you." It was all I could think to say. Just then, I heard a low whistle coming from the direction of the Deck 4 Shutters photography stand overlooking the Atrium. We both turned to regard the individual, and there was Meghan, obviously having left something in the D Lounge. A look of absolute shock robbed her of her normal beauty, and said look was directed straight at us.

Belle was the first to regain her composure.

"I cleared it with the higher-ups on the ship," she told Meghan. "We're good."

"Not that I don't believe you," Meghan croaked slowly, "it's just that I've never seen one person-"

"Win any of your characters over so completely before?" I offered as a conclusion. She nodded slowly.

"Well," I said to both Belle and Meghan, "I'm going to be honest here-I have no clue how or why I was able to merit this much affection from any of the characters, let alone possibly the most popular Disney Princess since Cinderella, but never once will you hear me complain."

"It's because of your spirit," revealed Belle, "what we see in your heart, and your belief in us. It's what made such a profound impression on me and drew me to you."

"Which explains why you asked where I was when my family met you on Monday after dinner," I guessed, "after having only met me once."

"Yes," confirmed Belle, "and it's why I'll be very sad when it's time for us to part."

"Well, don't think about that yet," chimed in Meghan, sounding a bit more like her usual, cheerful, bubbly self. "You guys still have one more night to spend together."

"True," agreed Belle, "and I think I know just how I'm going to spend it. Will you be doing the last karaoke session here tomorrow?"

"Indeed," I replied, "and hopefully I'll be closing it out."

"Nice," complimented Meghan. "With which song?"

"Normally," I answered, "I'd say 'Closing Time', but Semisonic isn't even on the list. So I have to go with my second choice, which is 'Bohemian Rhapsody'."

"Oh," said Belle, "well, I'll be there. Should I bring anyone else?"

"Everyone you can get," I requested, "because I really don't want any of you to miss it. The more, the merrier, but at least try to get Ariel. She helped save my life; she at least deserves to be part of my final performance."

"I'll see what I can do," promised Belle. "Do we have a date?"

"We do," I concurred. "In the meantime, Meghan, you obviously forgot something."

"Yeah, just my character schedule for tomorrow," responded Meghan. "In and out; I'll be quick." And she walked into the D Lounge without another word.

"Now, where were we?" asked Belle once Meghan had locked the lounge back up and left.

"Hmm..." I mock-thought. "Oh, I remember." And we resumed our kiss almost exactly where we left off.

_Dreams come true-believe it._


	5. Epilogue: The Memory Remains

**Epilogue: The Memory Remains**

It's now been four, almost five days since we disembarked the ship, and I still miss it. I can still see all the people and characters I met, all the passengers I somehow entertained, all the magical moments I made with all of them...

They're all still so fresh in my mind to me.

With the help of my photo album on Facebook, I can go back to those memories every time I wish to escape from my life. I can revisit getting ambushed by Goofy, playing a round of mini-golf while Max Goof watches intently, confronting Cinderella about her supposed "secret identity", cracking jokes with Tiana and Snow White, chatting with Captain Mickey, and getting pecked on the cheek by Daisy and Minnie.

But sometimes the best and clearest memories...are those without picture or video to confine them.

And sometimes those memories are born of what would otherwise be a tragic happening.

With these words I have now entrusted to the clicking and clacking of my keyboard, the memory of getting rescued from the cold Atlantic waters by, essentially, two Disney Princesses...one a mermaid, the other a bookworm...who shared a common ground they only fleetingly knew they had in their affection for me, who would otherwise be just another passenger on a cruise ship...will survive until the end of time itself.

Speaking of those two Disney Princesses, they were both saddened when they learned that I had left the ship without being given time to say goodbye, but the word on the wind says that each has now found solace...in the other's arms at night.

But I know that they are only wishing that I would come back and sail with them again. Same can be said of all the _Disney Fantasy_ staff.

And they know just as well as I do that it's also my wish. So consider this your official notice:

**Disney Fantasy_, prepare yourself...for someday soon...Luke Lynch will be back._**

END


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